An Apparition to Love
by RoseScor90
Summary: Lily never wanted to be transported to the middle of nowhere, and she definitely did not want to like being there. There was no way fate was punishing her by making her fall for the one guy who's eons apart from her, could it? R&R!
1. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: Not JK…_

_A/n: So this is written for the 'Becca Rules the World' challenge where I got Lily/OC as a pairing and chose India for a country. Hope you enjoy!_

_Chapter 1: The apparition_

_A cauldron full of hot strong love_ was the first thing she heard as Lily Potter woke up in what she thought was early hours of the morning. Yawning, she lifted her muggle portable phone that she was almost sure was called a mobile (well, duh?). Rose had gotten it for her twenty fourth birthday which had been just a few weeks ago. She was still wary of it, but Rose had gone to so much pain to get it to work in the wizarding world so she tried her best to put it to use.

"Hello!" her groggily voice got a little laugh as a reply before her favorite cousin's voice came on.

"Hey sleepy head! It's nine o' clock! Slept in?" Lily jumped out of bed and hit her head on the headboard. A steady string of curses followed, which was answered by alternate shrieks of laughter and admonition from the other end. After a few minutes, the pain in the middle of her head subsided and she righted the receiver from its lopsided position.

"What's the matter?" she asked snappily, but Rose just chuckled.

"You do remember by engagement party, don't you? It's in a week and I want your help planning it? I told you this before!" Rose's voice bordered on impatient but Lily just rolled her eyes. Rose always insisted on preplanning things. Lily thought she'd have planned her whole life when she was in her Aunt Hermione's womb.

"Yeah, even before Scor asked you out, I know" she replied in a tired but clear voice, the sleepiness seeping away.

"Lily! Stop making fun of me! Anyway, I was wondering if you could have lunch with me today. You don't have any dates, do you?"

"N…yes I do, but that can be cancelled. I'll be at Florean's at one?" she could mentally see Rose shake her head in resignation on the other end. It was known all over wizarding London that Lily Luna Potter was the flightiest girl that was ever born.

"Okay then. Aren't you running late for the office?" Rose disconnected the line with that question, and Lily threw the contraption rather forcefully on the bed before hurrying to get ready. There was no choice, she'd have to apparate today. Not her most favorite mode of transportation; she was sure to be cranky the entire bloody day.

When Lily walked into her office in the Department of Magical Transportation, her assistant Claire was waiting at the entrance, agitated.

"I thought you were going to be late, Lily. We have received a weird contraption confiscated from the countryside. Mr Locks wanted you to analyse it and submit a report before the day is up" she recited, all the while following an irate Lily who stormed through the block of offices to the door labeled 'Examination Room. Entry restricted'. She blasted open the door quickly, closing it on Claire's face. Her assistant just smiled before she walked away; she was used to Lily's mood swings. She'd probably have over slept or something and would be back before lunch with an apology for acting rudely.

Inside the room, Lily walked around the contraption that was placed on an elevated platform in the middle of the room. She lit her wand to look at it better. The device was the size of a dressing room, a person wanting to hide might easily do so in there. It was colored a deep maroon, with vine like criss crosses of the color of gold interspersing it. The design was rather complicated and grand. She touched the thing cautiously, and it glowed a light red. She removed her hand immediately and waited for a second before she touched it again. The thing remained unlit. She moved her hand around it, trying to spot the doorknob. Her hands touched the cool surface of rounded metal, and Lily turned it to open the door. The inside was rather simple when compared to the outside. It was completely covered in black, with no engravings, no designs, nothing. She walked up the single step to get a better look at it. Taking a step forward, she placed her hand on the far edge of the box, and suddenly felt a tug at her navel that reminded her of her uncomfortable apparition earlier in the day.

She was sucked into the box, and it closed of its own accord as it spun rapidly, making her dizzy. She hit her head on one of he walls, and the thing seemed to slow down. She must have pressed some invisible button. When it stopped, she was literally thrown out of the box, not that she wasn't happy to get away from it, and landed on what appeared to be a poorly made road. The sun shone on her head rather hotly, and she belatedly realized that her winter clothes were making her sweat profusely. She listened to the various sounds around her while trying to stop her head from spinning. All she heard was a bunch of different syllables that made no sense, no matter which way she re-arranged them. And the accent, it was rather funnily like a song, melodic and flowing.

While she was so occupied, a dark hand invaded her vision, and she realized that it was extended to her; she was the one lying on the ground afterall. She took the offered hand, but as soon as she was upright, the hand let her go, making her stumble.

"Definitely drunk" a low masculine voice muttered before it said in a louder, more commanding voice, "Ranjith!"

_Ranjith?_ What in hell was that? And who was this man? She couldn't see much because her eyes were watering from the blinding sun, but from what she could discern, he looked odd. He surely wasn't English, so what was he doing here? More importantly, where was _here_?

A/n: Was it too boring? If it was please do stay with me, because I promise it will get better!


	2. Stranded

_Disclaimer: Not JK…_

_A/n: This is written for the 'Becca Rules the World' challenge where I got Lily/OC as a pairing and chose India for a country. Hope you enjoy!_

_Chapter 2: Stranded_

"Are you alright? Do you feel fine? Has the dizziness dissipated?" he asked a string of questions without pause, and without waiting for her answer, lifted her hand from her side and held it at the wrist, concentrating. It took her a moment to realize that he was checking her pulse and another for her to retrieve her hand from his firm grip. It didn't hurt, but she did not like a stranger holding her hand, it was just…odd.

"I'm fine. Just a bit confused. Where's that thing I came in? I need to go back as soon as I can" she looked around, noticing her queer surroundings for the first time. The two of them were standing before what was obviously the entrance to a large compound that was painted in vertical stripes of red and white. The double doors were tall and large, and she could see small figurines on the surface. The little statues were funnily dressed, and had a lot of ornaments on. On top of the doors was a tower of sorts, which was triangular, but flat at the top, with little spikes sprouting from it. The tower was painted in varied colors with the same figurines decorating all sides; atleast the ones she could see from below. The tower was several feet tall and the overall effect was overwhelming. Lily stared at it wide eyed for a bit before shaking herself out of the stupor.

All around them, she could see people milling about, but they all were funnily dressed and they were different too. A line of shops were selling what appeared to be strings of different colored flowers and also little chucks of white stones. The people there looked curiously at her, but they weren't as wary of her as she was of them. It was almost as if they had gotten used to seeing random people appear out of nowhere. She could see a few cows and dogs walking around the street, and people giving them random bits of food. There was also a perplexing music coming from within the compound, but it was pleasant all the same. The place smelled of camphor and something else she couldn't place. She decided it must have been the green colored leaves that were hung in dozens in all the shops. In all her survey, only two things had escaped her notice; one was the contraption she had arrived in which was nowhere to be found, the other was the man standing before her.

Since there was no way she could go in search of the object in question, she decided to go with the choice she did have. Turning to him, she realized that he had been staring at her the whole time. He must surely have noticed her bewildered look, for a smirk graced his alluring features. His face was chiseled and aristocratic, reminding her of an age old portrait she had seen during her solitary visit to the Malfoy Manor. Dark eyes peered at her with equal amounts of impatience and intrigue, but she still hadn't finished her examination; he'd have to wait. His hair was long and grazed his left eyebrow, blowing in the light breeze. He had a rather sharp nose that accentuated the keenness of his eyes, giving him a rather intimidating look. She had no doubt that he'd be terrifying if he was ever angry.

Aside from his facial features, it was his dress that baffled her. He was dressed in a white shirt and instead of a jean or pants, was wearing what looked like a sheet of cloth around his waist. Hadn't he had time to get dressed or something? But the cloth looked too pristine and expensive, confusing her further. And then there was the little yellow and red mark on his forehead.

"Do I pass inspection?" he spoke with half an accent, she noticed. Whereas the rest of the people's talk was complete gibberish to her, she could comprehend his English.

"Oh, I am sorry for staring. Why are you so funnily dressed?"

"If you hadn't noticed, it's _you_ that would be considered 'funnily dressed' here" That was true. Aside from the fact that he appeared fairer than the rest, he could blend in with the crowd easily. Whereas she…

"I'd suggest you don't wear that cloak while you're still here. And that wand behind your ear too, if you feel safe enough to go without it" he knew about cloaks and wands? Was he a…

"I'd say welcome, but you appear muddled. I doubt you'd understand" That got her temper boiling. What did he take her for? An imbecile?

"I'm not insane, if that's what you're suggesting, Mr…" his manners changed drastically, and she was sure she heard him mutter in a strange language under his breath, but it did not sound like a curse word so she asked him about it.

"It's a saying from our ancestors, '_Athithi devo bhava_'" he explained, clearly excited. The glint in his eyes told her that whatever it was he was speaking, he felt strongly about it. He was a passionate person, not the cold slate she'd thought he was at first.

"Um, in English please?" he laughed lightly before elaborating.

"It's an age old saying that means that you're supposed to treat your guests like deities."

"Hope he hasn't been too rude" another, much chirpier voice sounded from behind and Lily turned to face the intruder. He appeared much like the other guy, but his face was more open and he actually smiled, giving his face a boyish look.

"Couldn't you be a wee bit more late, Ranjith? This woman here seems lost and appears to be a witch. Help her out, won't you?" he turned away without even a nod to her and went into the large building. She knew he had spoken in English so that she could understand, but it only insulted her further. Did he want her to know that she didn't affect him or something?

"What's got him in a twist?" she asked the newcomer, who was looking at her with bright curious eyes. She felt better in his presence, like she could laugh and joke. May be she was going insane or something.

"Who, Rai? He's just always like that. Now, may I know who you are?" his English was a little less comprehendible, but Lily managed.

"Is his name Royce or something and you shortened it?" she asked curiously back.

"It's a long story. Mum and Dad wanted to name their child with something unique. Then there was this Hindi film that was released in which the family's name was Raichand. Mum was enchanted by the name. By the time they had me, all this unique name business had worn off because Rai caused them so much trouble. So I got stuck with Ranjith. My sister, the little devil, was named Rangana" he explained, apparently pained by the fact that he got stuck with a simple sounding name. "You still haven't told me your name?" he looked imploringly at her and Lily bristled.

"My name is Lily Luna Potter. Nice to meet you" she added, extending her hand. He looked at her like she had grown an additional head and folded his hands as if he was praying.

"What are you doing?" she asked confused. That was the only emotion she was seemingly able to feel today, since she hadn't gone into shock yet.

"We do not shake hands here. This is how we greet people, especially a person of the opposite gender" he explained. She tried to copy his move to which he nodded in approval.

"Where am I, by the way? Your brother refused to tell me. And what's this place?" she asked, indicating the large compound.

"You're standing in front of one of the temples in this city. In India" he laughed at her shocked expression, but she didn't notice.

_India?_ _**Now**__ she knew she was stranded in the middle of nowhere!_

A/n: Please do review and tell me if I am any good at writing this, because I've never written a fic like this before and I want to know what you guys think. Is it even remotely interesting? Or should I change anything about it?

If you have any doubts, please do ask!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Not JK…

A/n: Please do tell me if this is too travelogue like!

Chapter 3: The house and its occupants

"India?"

"Tamil Nadu, Madurai." Ranjith corrected me from the front seat where he was seated. I still couldn't believe that dratted box of metal had transported me half way through the globe. I had told bits and pieces of it to Ranjith who had decided to take me to their home, to the extreme displeasure of Raichand.

They had seemingly come to the temple, the large compound with the tower, which was where they prayed to God. I had been looking around while they were gone and then Ranjith had suggested this. Why he couldn't have just said it, I don't know. It was almost as if he was asking his brother for _permission_.

On the way, Ranjith showed me the railway station which did not have a hidden wizard platform. Apparently we needed to get to the metros to get to one. And then there had been the river.

"What is this?" I couldn't help but exclaim as we drove on the bridge.

"That's the river _Vaigai_. It's one of the seven famous rivers of the country…"

"Why isn't there any water in it then? And why is there so much trash in it?" I mean, they could just Scourgify the river, couldn't they?

"It's all stored up in the dam for irrigation. The _Vaigai _is a seasonal river so we need to save the water for future use. And the garbage, that's just our people being too lazy to find a trash can." It was Raichand who explained, obviously peeved about the less than pristine state of the river. Quite the perfectionist, wasn't he?

That's one guy who needs to give his stuck up attitude a rest. It has only been a few hours since I met him but I'm yet to spot a smile on his face. But I didn't dwell much on it, occupied as I was with looking outside the window. It was just so…different was all I could come up with since I still hadn't seen enough to judge. I mean, there was the I-have-the-world's-biggest-attitude-problem type of guy like Raichand and there was the happy go lucky guy like Ranjith. Could you blame me for being confused?

But there was one thing I could discern; the city was rife with trade. Anywhere and everywhere I saw, there was a mob of people buying something or the other from little spoons to large containers that seemed like they were made of some kind of metal and could withstand a tornado without a dent. So many things to see and yet, Raichand drove too fast having no compassion for my wish to sight see.

Possibly the queerest thing about the women here was their unique dressing sense. They wore varied kinds of dresses and Ranjith had a name for them all; I forgot them as soon as I heard them. I only remember the _sa-ri_ because that was what the majority of the people here seemed to wear. But the men were dressed just like people back in London. They wore Muggle clothes sure, but Ranjith had explained to me that the wizard community in India were very small and tended to sort of band together. And they tried to live as much like Muggles as possible so as to not induce suspicion. That was why they weren't wielding their wands, though Ranjith had told me the entire family was magical. It only compounded my confusion about how I found my way to them, possibly one of the very few wizarding families in India.

Aside from the apparent bafflement of how I came to be here, I must say I was having a good time. I'd chosen to work in the Department of Transportation because I loved traveling and visiting places as much as I loved my old home. I'd traveled to a few European countries, but I'd never have even imagined coming to India.

The culture here was vastly different from what I had been used to but I'm trying to be as open minded to it as possible. By this time, we had crossed the central part of the city, or Ranjith told me we had. Then came the surrounding parts or the outcrops which were significant for the sheer number of statues they had. We passed a few colleges and schools a few of which Ranjith pointed out to me. Either he or one of his siblings had studied there for their non-magical education. I wanted to ask about their 'other' education but decided to save it for another time. Ranjith told me we were almost at the sub-urb; I could see that too, the shops were slowly giving way to houses, colorfully painted; Indians seemed to prefer sunny colors, for lack of a better word.

But the house the car drove into was painted in subtle shades of dull green, somehow managing not to look like a jungle. I'd gotten used to associating green with evil, what with Slytherin color being green and all, but this I had to admit was different. Ranjith jumped out of his seat to open the door for me and I curiously felt like a high five guest. Raichand drove the car away as soon as I had got down, which led me to believe that he was glad to have me off it. Ranjith rang the doorbell, and we waited. Raichand was back, jumping the steps two at a time; I didn't notice. I was engrossed with watching the curious little pattern that was drawn on the floor right outside the door. Ranjith seemed to be indifferent to it, so I concluded that all Indians drew on their entrance halls regularly. The drawing was made of some kind of powder and I wanted to investigate. I bent down to take a sample and was busy examining it. The powder was of varied colors, and some stuck to my hand. I was about to pick up the yellow flower at the middle when I heard the door open and looked up into the face of a pleasant looking woman.

She was wearing a _sa-ri_, much like the rest of the women population, but there was something distinct about her. Maybe because I was seeing an Indian woman up close for the first time? She looked at me curiously, but neither with any visible sign of distaste like Raichand or intrigue like Ranjith. She seemed like a kind woman, a motherly figure.

I straightened, not wanting to be caught destroying the picture on the ground. But she seemed least bothered about it and turning to her sons, spoke in that foreign language that Ranjith had told me was named Ta-mi-il. I had honestly tried pronouncing the name, but Ranjith just chuckled each time, so I gave up.

"_Yaar Idu?*"_ She was looking at me so I knew her question was about me. Ranjith gave her a detailed answer in the same language, but it was too fast for me to grasp anything. Their language was musical, they almost sang it. The woman nodded her head and smiled at me welcomingly over Ranjith's shoulder and uttered a welcome, or that was what I gathered from her gesture.

"_Ulla vaanga**"_ That was the first time I entered the house that would see my life change right before its very eyes.

A/n: What do you think? Review please?

*Yaar Idu? – Who is this?

*Ulla vaanga – Please come inside.


End file.
